EMT Lesson Plans

Chapter 8: Patient Assessment

National EMS Education Standard Competencies

Assessment

Applies scene information and patient assessment findings (scene size-up, primary and secondary assessment, patient history, and

reassessment) to guide emergency management.

Primary Assessment

 Primary assessment for all patient situations (pp 261 – 278)  Level of consciousness (pp 262 – 265)  ABCs (pp 265 – 274)  Identifying life threats (pp 274 – 275)  Assessment of vital functions (pp 262 – 265)  Initial general impression (p 261)  Begin interventions needed to preserve life (pp 274 – 275)  Integration of treatment/procedures needed to preserve life (pp 275 – 278)

Knowledge Objectives

1. Describe the principal goals of the primary assessment process: to identify and treat life threats and to determine if immediate transport is required. (pp 261 – 278)

2. Explain the process of forming a general impression of a patient as part of primary assessment and the reasons why this step is

critical to patient management. (p 261) ϯ. EdžplaiŶ the iŵportaŶĐe of assessiŶg a patieŶt’s level of ĐoŶsĐiousŶess (LOC) to determine altered mental status, and give examples of different methods used to assess alertness, responsiveness, and orientation. (pp 262 – 265) 4. Describe the assessment of airway status in patients who are both responsive and unresponsive, and give examples of possible signs and causes of airway obstruction in each case as well as the appropriate EMT response. (pp 265 – 266) ϱ. DesĐriďe the assessŵeŶt of a patieŶt’s ďreathiŶg status, iŶĐludiŶg the keLJ iŶforŵatioŶ the EMT ŵust oďtaiŶ duriŶg this pro cess and the care required for patients who have both adequate and inadequate breathing. (pp 266 – 269) 5. List the signs of respiratory distress and respiratory failure. (p 269) ϲ. DesĐriďe the assessŵeŶt of a patieŶt’s ĐirĐulatorLJ status, iŶĐludiŶg the differeŶt ŵethods for oďtaiŶiŶg a pulse aŶd appro priate management dependin g oŶ the patieŶt’s status. (pp Ϯϳ0– 272) 7. Explain the variations required to obtain a pulse in infant and child patients as compared with adult patients. (pp 270 – 272) ϴ. DesĐriďe the assessŵeŶt of a patieŶt’s skiŶ Đolor, teŵperature, aŶd ĐoŶditioŶ, provid ing examples of both normal and abnormal fiŶdiŶgs aŶd the iŶforŵatioŶ this provides related to the patieŶt’s status. (pp ϮϳϮ– 274)

9. Discuss the process of assessing for and methods for controlling external bleeding. (p 274)

10. Discuss the steps used to identify and subsequently treat life-threatening conditions that endanger a patient during an emergency. (pp 274 – 275)